Ribbon-feed mechanism for type-writers.



No. 691,778. I Patented Ian. 28, I902.

I w; J. KAUFFMAN. v

RIBBON FEED MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITERS.

(Application filed June 15, 1899. Renewed Sept. 20, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

a I. m

N Av M F F. U A K I W m M 6 0 N RIBBON FEED MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITERS.

, (Appliution filed June 15. 1899. Renewed se n 20. 1901.)

i2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

m. w w a w/ 1 m T N 7% m W @H fl s \WNNN M NN. /.|W. wm mm @m R u vea mw 1 .21 E 4R \MH s w a 3 m w UNITED STATES WILLIAM J. KAUFFMAN, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIG PATENT OFFI E,

OR TO, THE, KAUFZFIMVA'N, ffi' TYPEWRITER COMPANY, A CORPORATION meson-FEED M ECHANIS M FOR, TYPEQWRIT'ERS}.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Nb. 91,77 meg att; 1902; Application filed June 15,1899. Renewed September 20,19 1. s ri l'n iv ejesr (Nomo deld I To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

' .Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. KAUFFMAN,

of Canton, inthe county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ribbon-Feed Mechanism for Type-Writers, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichr Figure 1 is afront elevation of my improved ribbon-feed mechanism applied to a typewriter, partly broken away and withparts removed for. clearnessr Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail sec-- tions of one of the spools, showing the two positions of the ribbon-clamp; Fig; 5 is a.

top plan view showing the pawl mechanism of. one of the spools, andFig. 6 is abroken detail elevation of the pawl mechanism.

My invention relates to the mechanism for carrying and feeding the ribbons of typewriters and is designed to provide a simple and effective device of this character which can be easily reversed, so as towind in either direction, and which shallibe provided with r a suitable depressing device arranged to move the central portion of the ribbon from in front of the character, so as to bringitlwithin the view of the operator.

In the drawings, 2 represents the general frame of a type-writer of the class wherein the type-bars print in the upward swing of their carrying-levers.

I 3 is the key-lever shaft to which the keyleve'rsi are pivoted, and 5 is the universal bar, pivoted in the rear of the machine at 6.

' 7 is the platen supported upon a movable carriage on track 8. 1 The above parts" may be changed widely without departing from my invention, which relates solely to the ribbon mechanism.

The ribbon 9 is carried upon two spools l0,

, which lie in planes parallel with the key-levers and are carriedtupon supports 11 at each side of the machine and abovethe key-levers. The hollow shaft 12-ofeach'spool is provided at one side with arecess within which enters the cut-away portion of a transverse rotary pin 13, having a screw-head 14:. In securing the ribbon its end is slipped between the pin h 13 and the shaft-recess, and the pin is then through a in a guide16,secured to an inwardly in'clinedj, arm 17, across the center-pf the machinegfor g Wardly through two'slots 1n anotherplate 16,. 601

[with ratchet-teeth which are engaged bytwo ing through a vertical slot in the bar'and eccesses engaged by the ends of a small pin 31,

turned to forceitrjinto ithe ,recess asl shown, itiFig 3, thusiclamping theribbon'gji 1 Froin fthe one spoolthe ribbon'extends up- 'guids-{loop 15,secured'{toanextenk sion'of the standard 11, tliencetothe'cehter of the machine, in andio'ut through twoslots andthence to the otherg'uideildandtheother q l. spool. Each arm "17' isisecufred to a lever 18;] I 5 pivoted at 19 to the'rearof the carriage-track} and h'avingat its'front ,enda fihge'r-r6st20; 1 The levers 18 are normally pressed upwardly o5 by spiral springs 21, sorroundingpinsfwhich' extend up through slotsin the levers into the carriage, and are-provided with nuts 22 to adjust the tension of the springs. Bydepressjing either of the leverslS the central part of the ribbon between the guides 16 will be drawndown, so as to reveal the character. a Each spool is provided on its rim portion pawls 23 and'24, pivoted to either'endof a 7'5 short shaft 25, carried in a vertic'ally-moving 7 bar 26,-pivotally connected at its lower end to the universal bar. The upper end of each; bar 26 is'guided by a small screw 27,'extend- 1 centrically secured to a small disk at theinner end of a turning shaft 28, having an extern'al thumb-piece 29 secured thereto for turning it. A short spiral spring 30 is placed in a recess in the inner end of the thumbpiece and bears upon the thumbw'ith sufficient force to hold the shaft in any of its adjusted positions. The rear portions of the pawls 23 and 24 are provided witlr'short re- 9 secured tot-he bar 26, and which limits their movements and prevents their falling into engagement wit-h the ratchet-Wheel when the pawls are drawn away from its teeth.

In operation one of the bars 26"is moved rearwardly by turning the shaft 28, so that its pawls are inoperative. When the universal bar is depressed, the pawl 24 of thelother bar, descending with the universal bar, engages another tooth and as the bar 26 is moved upwardly turns its spool, drawingthe ribbon from the other spool through the guides. During the time that the pawl 2% is tically-moving bars connected with the unimoving down the pawl 28, engaging one of the ratchet-teeth, prevents a rearward rotation of the spool and acts as a detent. \Vhen the ribbon has been wound on one spool, its pawls are disengaged and the pawls of the other spool thrown into engagement, when the ribbon will be automatically rewound upon the first spool.

, The advantages of my invention result from the simplicity and ease of operation of the device. It may be cheaply made and applied to any ordinary machine with upwardlystriking type-levers. A cheap and simple clamp for the ribbon is afforded, and the centralportiou of the ribbon may be easily moved aside to reveal the character.

Many changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the pawls, their actuating connections, and the other parts without departing from my invention.

I claim-- 1. A type-writer having a pair of spools supported on either side of the machine and in planes substantially parallel with the keylevers, a central ribbon-guide supported upon a lever hinged to the carriage-bed and having a finger-rest, and intermediate guides for the ribbon between the spools and the central guide; substantially as described.

2. A type-writer havinga central ribbonguide carried upon oppositely-inclined arms, a pair of lovers hinged to the carriage-bed and supporting the arms, and springs holding the levers normally in elevated position, said levers having finger-rests, substantially as described.

A type-Writer having a central ribbonguide provided with supporting-arms secured to two levers pivoted to the carriage-track, springs arranged to normally hold the levers in elevated position with the guide hiding the character, and finger-rests on the levers for depressing the guide, substantially as described.

4. A type-writer having a pair of spools, a ribbon extending between them, a pair of verversal bar, each such vertical bar having two pawls pivoted on the same axis and engaging the ratchet-teeth of the spools, and mechanism for disengaging either pawl connection, substantially as described.

5. A type-writer having a ribbon-spool provided with ratchet-teeth, a vertical bar connected to the universal bar, two pawls pivoted upon the same pin secured to the vertical bar and mechanism for removing the vertical bar away from the spool to disengage the pawl mechanism, substantially as described.

6. A type-writer having a ribbon-spool provided with ratchet-teeth, a vertical bar connected to the universal bar, two pawls pivoted to the vertical bar on the same axis, limitingstops for the pawls, and mechanism for moving the vertical bar to disengage the pawls, substantially as described.

7. A type-writer having a vertical bar pivoted to the universal bar, a crank-pin extending through a slot in the vertical bar and arranged to swing it toward or away from the spool, and pawls pivoted to the vertical bar and engaging the ratchet-teeth of the spool, substantially as described.

8. In a type-writer, a ribbon-spool having a recessed shaft or hub and an eccentric pin arranged to turn and clamp the ribbon within the recess, substantially as described.

9. In a type-writer, a pair of spools, a ribbon extending between the spools and through an intermediate guide, the vertical bars connected to the universal bar and having pawland-ratchet connection with the spool, and rotary adjustable shafts having pins entering slots in the vertical bars and arranged to throw either bar into inoperative position;

substantially as described.

In testimonywhereof I have hereunto so my hand.

WILLIAM J. KAUFFMAN.

iVitnesses:

0. W. STROHN, CHAS. A. REX. 

